The Golf Thread

[Pablo]

So, a mate of mine was playing with a tour pro yesterday at a pro-am. The guy was saying one of his mates on tour who's got career earnings of about £1M has joined the LIV tour; been paid £26M to join! Not sure on the name but he's going to be pretty unknown with that sort of career earnings.

Money involved is absolutely bonkers

Crazy. Set for life. How can you blame them I guess?

[RichC]

DP World tour have finally come out. I think to have any kind of weight it's going to be the Majors banning these players and I don't think they will.

"DP World Tour: LIV players to be fined and suspended; Players suspended from Scottish Open"

https://www.skysports.com/golf/news/12176/12639452/dp-world-tour-liv-players-to-be-fined-and-suspended-players-suspended-from-scottish-open

[Shaggy]

****ing mental.

[Buzzo]

Sounds like they are playing the long game. The outrage will not stay for long, and if they can hoover up enough young talent then they will be set for the future.

It is about as obvious an example of sportswashing as you could hope to see.

[RichC]

So, a mate of mine was playing with a tour pro yesterday at a pro-am. The guy was saying one of his mates on tour who's got career earnings of about £1M has joined the LIV tour; been paid £26M to join! Not sure on the name but he's going to be pretty unknown with that sort of career earnings.

Money involved is absolutely bonkers

[Pablo]

Do you see shaded of the PDC and BDO here? where the PGA is going to become the BDO obviously and 90% of the best players are with LIV?

Or do you think the PGA will relent and try and let both run with players from either being allowed entry?

Really not sure where it is going to go. I have been surprised how many of the bigger names have switched over already. I thought there would be none, but DJ, Bryson and Kopeka are a surprise. Abraham Ancer and Patrick Reed have also switched recently. There is also rumours Hovland is tempted (I'd be gutted by that one!). By that logic I think they will "convince" a few more soon enough and we will be near the tipping point of it being close which field is better.

The PGA Tour could then make an embarrassing backtrack and let them play in both but I doubt it. It would probably just encourage more players to sign up to LIV as there is no punishment and then whenever there is a LIV event everyone will play in that and PGA Tour events would be pointless as the field would be so poor. So what is the point of backing down?

I honestly think the PGA Tour is ****ed and just has to prey the LIV Golf thing fails. I think it might, as the format is absolute garbage!

[red g]

What would be the tipping point do you think in terms of it breaking the PGA Tour?

McIlroy, Rahm, Scheffler, Morikawa, Thomas, Speith, Hovland, Zalatoris, Cantley, Schaufelle, Cam Smith.

I'd say if they can get 4/5 more from off that list then the PGA Tour is in big trouble in terms of becoming a viable entity. The ones in bold are my ransom guesses at the ones I think could be tempted .

Do you see shaded of the PDC and BDO here? where the PGA is going to become the BDO obviously and 90% of the best players are with LIV?

Or do you think the PGA will relent and try and let both run with players from either being allowed entry?

[RichC]

What would be the tipping point do you think in terms of it breaking the PGA Tour?

McIlroy, Rahm, Scheffler, Morikawa, Thomas, Speith, Hovland, Zalatoris, Cantley, Schaufelle, Cam Smith.

I'd say if they can get 4/5 more from off that list then the PGA Tour is in big trouble in terms of becoming a viable entity. The ones in bold are my ransom guesses at the ones I think could be tempted .

I would have said prior to Koepka that now Morikawa has come out and said he's staying that's what he'll be doing but who knows now!

If they can convince 3 or 4 of the top 10 then the PGA tour is in real trouble as when does it move towards the best players being on the LIV tour rather than the PGA.

Money is one of those things that seem to change peoples position on things; $100M+ whomever you are is a lot of cash to say no to just as a joining fee.

What I hadn't realised was these are the same guys that own Newcastle now.

[Harv]

Has Fred Couples joined yet?

[Pablo]

What would be the tipping point do you think in terms of it breaking the PGA Tour?

McIlroy, Rahm, Scheffler, Morikawa, Thomas, Speith, Hovland, Zalatoris, Cantley, Schaufelle, Cam Smith.

I'd say if they can get 4/5 more from off that list then the PGA Tour is in big trouble in terms of becoming a viable entity. The ones in bold are my ransom guesses at the ones I think could be tempted .

[Shaggy]

I think John Rahm still summed it up well. He said he and his wife discussed whether this additional money would change their lifes in a single way, and the answer was no.

Thats why some of them have tried the 'work/life' balance line.

Its plain greed, and a lack of care as to being complicit in sportswashing.

Will be interesting to see how the press handle the World Cup in the winter.

[RichC]

Rory has had his say on it again; can see this upsetting a few of them !

LIV Golf: Rory McIlroy calls players who switch 'pretty duplicitous'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/golf/61899722

[Jas]

Its not as if they are poor to start with though. Many of these guys should be completely financially comfortable to start with. Is Phil Mickleson worrying if the gas bill can be paid next month like an 'ordinary' member of the workforce. The money shouldn't be as much a head turner for them as it would be for the average man in the street.

Mickleson probably needed to pay off some of his gambling debts.

[Buzzo]

Lots of the players have basically said "this is just a job". They are doing a job, they have a huge pay rise on offer and could potentially retire early. If you look at it that way you can empathise to some degree.

For someone like Rahm and McIlroy though it seems they really do love the game, the history and the legacy they could leave behind. They think of it more of a vocation than a job if you like.

That is admirable, but as Justin Thomas said I'm sure they all have a price, and the numbers being offered are staggering and I think we will see more who have previously taken the moral high ground backtrack in the next few weeks.

Surely all of them, even hacks like Poulter are way past needing to play to pay the bills?

A quick google suggests Poulter is worth £60m. He doesnt need to play Golf anymore.

[Pablo]

Just on the format though; it really is awful. I can't think of a single thing they've changed that I think is better for it.

Shotgun start - ****. I don't want to watch someone start their round on the 18th, completely against how the course was designed.
No cut/3 rounds - I've no inherent issue with reducing it to 3 rounds, but I don't see what it adds for the spectator?
Team format and names - Utter cringe, confusing and who gives a ****?

It might improve if they are willing to change it up, but for me it is nowhere near as exciting as watching the traditional format of golf.